The Problem

3.3 million dogs are being abandoned in the US every year.

62.4% of the owners are reporting behavioral problems in the first few weeks after the rescue and return the dog to shelters. The owner is not familiar with the dog’s background and doesn’t have the tools to deal with the problems that can come up.

Goal

How can we help a rescue dog overcome the initial transition period in a new home?

Creating a solid ground for positive interaction, building a strong bond between the dog and his new owner and allow a sense of trust and relationship building.

Outcome

Designing a set of training toys to encourage fun and healthy interaction, that lead to positive behavior for the dog and establish the owner role in the relationship.

Each training toy will help teach a different commend. This will increase the dog’s chances of staying in a new home.

The Process

What's already out in the market? Conducting a competitive analysis.

Getting familiar with the dog industry - toys, training tools, and trends. Also looking at other worlds to get inspiration for form, shape, and colors.

Daily shadowing with dog owners and professional trainers

Listening, absorbing, surveying, asking questions, one day at a time.It helped me understand the problems, the unfortunate outcomes and the trainer's methods to overcome them. It also established a great relationship with my future testing subjects.

Sketching and building prototypes for testing

Conducting a few rounds of User Testing

seeing my prototypes comes to life is always the best part of the project. Dogs can’t speak, but they also can’t lie. I conducted 3 rounds, with 10 dogs, observing and realizing what works, what doesn’t work and why.

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Finalizing a design brief

Prototyping the final models for presentation

Final Presentation

Fetch

Frisbee that contains snacks.The treat inside encourages the dog to fetch the frisbee because he learns that right after he brings it back he receives a treat. This is how the dog learns the ‘fetch’ command.

Drop

Two identical toys that connect to a handle with a magnet.The dog would always prefer the moving toy that is attached to the handle and will drop the other one from his mouth to try and get it. This helps the owner teach the ‘drop’ command.

Roll

A rolling dispenser for treats.Dogs tend to feel lonely when they are left for hours at home alone. Roll keeps the dog active, on his paws, motivated by the treats. It’s also a good solution for dogs that eat too fast.

The Full Set

Final Movie (Sound on!)

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